Running With the Sheep

When they run the bulls through the streets of Pamplona, there's always a big crowd of thrill-seekers ahead of them, sprinting for their lives.

Human courage has its limits, however - as was proved yesterday in the New Zealand North Island town of Te Kuiti, near Hamilton, when 2000 sheep stampeded through the main street and no one was game enough to run before them.

Instead, locals stood to the side, apparently stunned to stillness by the banshee bleating of the mutton melee.

The shear power of the mob's passing apparently sucked one little girl too close to their hooves. Luckily, a man plucked her from the jaws of death, or at least grassy bad breath. As the sobbing child was passed to her father's arms, the sheep went berserk, barrelling over cars and down to the river.

In the end, All Black stars Colin Meads and Brian Lochore - with four-wheel tractor bikes and assorted champion sheep dogs - were let loose to bring the flock to order.

The Running of the Sheep was organised to mark the 20th anniversary of New Zealand's shearing championships.

You can go here to see the slideshow
And don't forget our Springtime in Kansas Photo Album here. No sheep, but there is a Easter bunny